B Division South Zone Round 2 Game 2: Raffles Institution vs Guang Yang Secondary (31-18)

 Raffles Institution vs Guang Yang Secondary (31-18)


Points by Quarter:

          1st       2nd       3rd       4th
RI------3-------3------8------17
GYS---5-------6-------6------1



The game started off as both teams struggled to make a basket. We were plagued by turnovers the whole of the first half and although our defense was reasonably solid, we were way to passive on the offensive end, passing the ball around the perimeter instead of attacking the basket. Though we did not score much the first half, our defense kept the opponent's point total in check and we were only down by 5 by halftime, as the score was a miserable 11-6.

In the third quarter, we started to play even harder on defense and started to force some turnovers from Guang Yang, while taking care of the ball better. However, we still missed shots that would have been automatic for us and although we won the quarter 8-6, we still trailed 17-14 entering into the final period.

The 4th quarter was when we really got our momentum going and finally got our engines started. It started of with an "And-One" from our captain Jovi which got everyone fired up. Although he missed the free throw, we still were only down by 1 pt. We then committed a foul on our end, giving up one point to the opponents from free throws. Then a few possessions later, our Vice-captain Daran calmly drained a three pointer, giving us a 1 pt advantage. This was a huge shot and got the whole team fired up. This was a spark for us and eventually lead to 3 more three pointers and a layup, as we ended the game on a 17-1 run in the 4th quarter, pulling away for the win.



Improvements

We started off this game way too slow. We need to get into our offense quickly and capitalise on our make-able shots. Had we done this better today, the game would not have been so close to start with. We also have to be more aggressive in attacking the basket so that we can open up opportunities to score not only for ourselves, but for our teammates as well.



Strengths

We remained composed in the last quarter and we were resilient, fighting all the way to the final buzzer instead of giving up halfway. As the game progressed, we got more and more comfortable playing and eventually allowed us to pull away. This was the second game this season where we remained composed in the last quarter and came through with timely big shots.



Our next game will be on Friday against ACS (Barker Road). It would be a great test for us and we must embrace it. Game will be played at 3:30pm. Stay tuned!